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5 More Ways to Build Better Biceps

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better biceps

Better biceps is something everyone seems to want. I previously presented you with 5 Ways to Build Better Biceps and today I am going to offer you 5 more ways to build better biceps.

  • Dedicate a training day to the arms. I personally mix this up in my training. I train my biceps with my back and my triceps with my chest, but I also have one day where I go all out heavy weights and hit the arms only. It helps because you are fresh and can work the arms with much more intensity.
  • Use a thick bar or Fat Gripz. Using a thick bar or some sort of device (ie. Fat Gripz) that thickens the bar when training arms will give you a brutal all out attack on the arms.
  • Extend your pinky or your thumb to touch the barbell itself. This changes the way the curls feel and makes your arms work even harder. The variety is good for the muscle as well.
  • Use 21s in your biceps training. You will find that 21s increase the time under tension. What are 21s? They involve working the 3 areas of the movement with 7 reps each. Start with partial curls for 7 reps. Move on to the mid-range of the curl for 7 reps and then do full range of curls for 7 reps.
  • Squeeze like mad. One thing I notice at the gym is people swinging the weight and letting it drop. They are not training as hard as they should be. Try getting a good squeeze in the muscle at the top of each movement. As you bring the dumbbell to the top, rotate your hand so that your thumb moves away from your body. Squeeze the muscle in that position and then slowly lower the weight back down. Repeat this for the required number of repetitions.

Arms look impressive when developed properly. They also help with upper body strength. Follow the above tips and you will see some major changes in your arms in no time at all.

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Monday Madness: Tabata for Fat Loss

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tabata training protocol

Tabata is an extremely intense training protocol that does wonders for fitness and fat loss. Tabata sessions are extremely short in duration. This makes them very attractive to many people.

Dr. Izumi Tabata – Inventor

Dr. Izumi Tabata is the inventor of the Tabata protocol. He conducted a study on the best way to incorporate an interval training model. His objective was to see if athletes would benefit from a 20/10 session repeated eight times. 20/10 means 20 seconds of all-out exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. This adds up to four minutes total.

Dr. Tabata selected two groups of people and put them on an exercise program for six weeks. His control group did one hour of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week. The other group did the high-intensity Tabata-style training. That adds up to 1,800 minutes of training for the control group versus 120 minutes of training for the Tabata group over the six-week period. The results speak for themselves. The Tabata group improved both its aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. The anaerobic fitness level increased 28%.

Tabata Workout Examples

You can incorporate tabata into your training very easily. It is a 20 second work interval followed by a 10 second rest interval repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes of training. Some example programs follow.

Tabata Example 1:

Sprint for 20 seconds
Walk for 10 seconds

Repeat the above 8 times

Tabata Example 2:

20 seconds of push ups
10 seconds rest
20 seconds of squats
10 seconds rest
20 seconds of medicine ball slams
10 seconds of rest
20 seconds jumping rope
10 seconds of rest

Cautions About Tabata Training:

  1. Tabata training is not for beginners. Tabata training is best for advanced exercisers who are comfortable with high-intensity exercise. The intensity accumulates, peaking near the end. It's easy for the intensity to become too challenging if you're not used to this type of training.
  2. If you go all out during the high intensity intervals, the 4-minute cycle will feel like the longest, most uncomfortable 4 minutes of your life. It may be too intense for some people.
  3. There is always a greater risk of injury when you're doing high-impact, high-intensity exercise. Minimize that risk by ensuring you're fit enough for this type of training. This would include working your way up to the intensity and duration. Also make sure you completely warm up before you start into your Tabata routine.
  4. Four minutes of the same exercise, even with rests in between, can get monotonous and quickly fatigue your muscles. This can cause your form (and motivation) to suffer if you aren’t mentally prepared!

Some Exercises to Use with Tabata

Mountain Climbers
Burpees
Squats
Sit ups
Sprints
Stairs
Leg raises
Calf raises
Bench press
Deadlift

Always pick exercises that utilize larger muscle groups.

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Saturday Sharing: My Opinion on Why Women Need to Lift Weights

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women need to lift weights

Women need to lift weights. There really should be no argument about this. The problem is that women think they will be “huge” if they lift weights and that is simply not true. Size gains are based upon the workouts done. In some cases it is based upon drugs that are taken. This is all something the individual controls.

Weight training has many benefits. It helps with fat loss by increasing lean body mass. This is another reason why women need to lift weights. Every woman I've ever met wants to be thinner. They all claim that they want to “tone up” but what does that really mean? It means women need to lift weights.

Come on ladies! You know I am right. Having more muscle doesn't mean you will be bigger. In most cases you will be tighter which will make you look smaller. It is the truth. Women need to lift weights.

Getting large involves lifting very heavy weights. In some cases it means taking drugs. Are you going to do that ladies? Probably not. If you are it means you want to be bigger. However, lifting weights alone isn't going to make that happen.

Women want to tone up? Women need to lift weights!

Women want to thin out? Women need to lift weights!

Women want to lose weight? Women need to lift weights!

It really is a simple concept that should no longer be argued with. Get in the gym ladies and move some iron. I am sure you enjoy your TKB class, but that alone isn't going to get you where you want to be. Those lean and toned muscles are waiting for you. You just need to move some iron.

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Cardio Techniques: HIIT Workouts for Fat Burning

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hiit-workouts

HIT workouts are an amazingly effective method for burning fat. You can get more done in a much shorter time period using this cardio technique. I want to explain to you what HIIT is and then give you some sample workouts to try. I will explain the process by which you can create your own HIIT workouts.

What Is HIIT

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It is an exercise strategy that involves mixing short periods of intense aerobic activity with less intense recovery periods. It is extremely effective at burning fat because the fat burning effect continues even after the workout is done. A HIIT workout done properly will improve athletic conditioning, improve glucose metabolism and fat loss.

How to Do a HIIT Workout

HIIT workouts really don't have a formula. Some people use a 2:1 ratio or even a 1:1 ratio. It all depends upon your fitness level. I personally like to mix up different ratios and get a different feeling in my workout. HIIT workouts are intense, but short. They require maximum effort.

The Coe Method

When Sebastian Coe (Olympic runner) trained he would mix in 200 meter all out sprints with 30 seconds of rest. Clearly this approach is based on distance and not time.

Tabata Method

Another really popular method of doing cardio and one I use on leg days to get an extra metabolic boost is the Tabata Methhod. This method involves doing 20 seconds of all out work followed by 10 seconds of rest. This can be done using weights or just running. I tend to do it using various weight training exercises as it really gets my heart racing, but is easier to execute the 20 second intense interval and balance it with the rest period.

My Favourite Interval

HIIT workouts can be customized to suit your own needs. I currently use a method wherein a run hard for 45 seconds and then recover for 75 seconds. It is kind of a reverse ratio, but it works quite well because I can really go all out during the intense interval. 45 seconds is just long enough to be painful, but short enough that it can be completed. By making sure you get moving again after the 75 seconds of rest you will find yourself seriously out of breath in no time at all.

Body for Life Intervals

Body for Life was a very popular program in the past. The cardio plan is actually pretty intense and is one of the HIIT workouts you should incorporate into your training. It works by increasing the intensity gradually. You warm up for 2 minutes at intensity level of 5. At the start of minute 2 you go up to intensity level 6. At the start of minute 3 you go up to intensity level 7. At the start of minute 4 you go to intensity level 8, at the start of minute 5 you to to intensity level 9. At the start of minute 6 you drop back down to intensity level 5 for a minute. You keep this up until you've hit 20 minutes. The following table outlines the plan exactly.

Body for Life 20 Minute HIIT
0-2 minutes Warm up at Intensity 5
2-3 minutes Intensity Level 6
3-4 minutes Intensity Level 7
4-5 minutes Intensity Level 8
5-6 minutes Intensity Level 9
6-7 minutes Intensity Level 5
7-8 minutes Intensity Level 6
8-9 minutes Intensity Level 7
9-10 minutes Intensity Level 8
10-11 minutes Intensity Level 9
11-12 minutes Intensity Level 10
12-13 minutes Intensity Level 5
13-14 minutes Intensity Level 6
14-15 minutes Intensity Level 7
15-16 minutes Intensity Level 8
16-17 minutes Intensity Level 9
17-18 minutes Intensity Level 10
18-20 minutes Cool down at Intensity Level 5

Try this one and let me know how you feel after!

HIIT Workouts Just Plain Do the Job

HIIT workouts are a great way to get some cardio in and get an intense benefit. I tend to insert them after every weight workout if I am not training with weights daily. Regardless, the quick cardio sessions give me some amazing results when I am consistent. Give these techniques a try and let me know how it goes.

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How to Set Long Term Goals

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set-long-term-goals

In order to set long term goals effectively you need to have a process you follow religiously. I mapped out how to start with that in my previous article (My Goal Planning Analyzed Step-by-Step). To set long term goals means to be forced to plan for the future. Planning is the key to all success when trying to transform your body.

Use the SMART System for Setting Goals

The SMART System is a method to set long term goals that has been proven through its use by many different people. SMART, itself, is an acronym that stands for Specific Measureable Assignable Realistic Time-related. In short, you target an area for improvement, quantify a measure to show improvement, specify who will attain the goal, determine what is realistic and then specify when it is to be completed. This approach will set your brain to work at accomplishing the goals you have set.

Set Long Term Goals That Are Realistic

When you set long term goals they need to be realistic. I could say I am going to lose 100 pounds in 2 weeks, but that just isn't realistic. It is OK to say you want to lose 100 pounds, but the realistic part is in the time it will take. You have to work your way towards the goal at a pace that is really going to happen or you will simply be at a loss when you fail to achieve the goal. It is extremely discouraging when you fail at a goal.

Flexibility Is the Key

When you set long term goals you have to be flexible. As stated above, being realistic about when you can accomplish the goal. I had a woman call me for personal training services recently. She weight 240 lbs. and wanted to weigh 140 lbs. A 100 pound drop in weight is a huge thing to undertake, but it can be done. By my calculations it would take her 15 months to accomplish this goal. She didn't like my estimate because she wanted to do it in 3 months. The amazing thing is her unwillingness to bend on that goal date. She even commented that she had been losing 1 pound a week on her new “diet” and just knew that adding exercise would get her to her goal. I reminded her that to lose 100 pounds in 3 months meant losing 8.333 pounds a week. I tried to explain why this was not a realistic goal and what the consequences would be of setting such a goal. She kept telling me that I didn't understand. Needless to say I am not working with that person. People, be flexible with the goal date. The idea is to lose the weight, right? So who cares if it takes a little longer than you'd like? The end result is the same.

Measure What You Expect to Accomplish

To me a goal of losing 100 pounds isn't even the thing I would look at. I would rather drop body fat percentage and circumference measurements before I would even look at the scale. Taking the woman I mentioned above, had I worked with her I would not have even asked about her scale weight. I would have measured body fat and circumference of body parts weekly. Based on the feedback those numbers gave me I would make adjustments. In the end we would be powering towards her goal of 100 pounds lighter and she would have been much happier. Unfortunately at this point I believe her goal date will come and go and she won't have lost anywhere near what she wants.

Set Long Term Goals For Yourself

Long term goals are something you will be working on for quite some time. As in the example above, it would take 15 months to accomplish what she wanted so how much do you think she would accomplish if she were setting the goal for her husband, mother, children or other person? I submit to you that she would fail miserably if the goal wasn't set for her and her alone. Goals, especially long term goals, are for us. They have to be something we are willing to live with. We will be working towards these goals for a good amount of time.

Set Long Term Goals You Can Be Held Accountable To

Make sure that your goals are something you can share with someone close to you. Ask them to hold you accountable. Start an accountability blog if you think it will help. Publish pictures to social media. Whatever it takes to keep yourself focused on the goal, do it!

I encourage you to let me know what your goals are. I am amazing at keeping people accountable. I can't make you do what you don't want to do, but I can certainly check in on you all the time. Tweet me (@mikemahony) or leave a comment below and I will be your  accountability partner.

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